Smith: Consumerism clashes with food

It says something -- doesn't it? -- when financially strapped families have a better chance at scoring a deeply discounted TV than a turkey dinner for the holidays.

Big box stores were primed for Black Friday, their shelves stocked with electronics, clothing, toys and anything else one could want to find under the tree on Christmas morning.

Some stores were even trying to rename the event to take the emphasis off "black." In fact, on Friday U.S. stocks rose as traders were encouraged by positive economic news.

There are those we know whose best shot at a new TV in this still-sour economy is an hours-long -- even days-long -- wait outside their local retailer. We wish them well in their hunt for bargains on luxuries they would otherwise go without.

One man I spoke with said his son paid a friend $200 to sit in line at Best Buy over three days so he could score a new video game player. Others seeking similar deals have their own stories about the time spent in long lines, or camped out to save a few hundred dollars.

Yet our food pantries are struggling to keep their cupboards full due to lagging donations, and some 50 million Americans who depend on food aid will struggle to feed their families this holiday season.

Bear in mind that in Woodland and Yolo County, the Food Closet and Food Bank, respectively, are in a constant struggle to feed the hungry -- who never seem to number any less.

On Thanksgiving Day, there were more than 500 runners who turned out to participate in the Food Bank's Running of the Turkeys. The event raised hundreds of dollars which will be used to purchase food. The 5K run came just about a week after hundreds of people -- who couldn't afford to do otherwise -- turned out to receive Thanksgiving turkeys and other ingredients for meals.

Meanwhile, the Food Closet is holding its annual "Season of Caring" campaign. If the Food Closet is lucky it will meet its goal of raising $22,000 by New Year's Day. That money will all be plowed back into buying food for those in need in Woodland.

And those numbers are staggering. The Food Closet, which literally operates out of a closet on the east side of the Woodland Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) off Lincoln Avenue, regularly provides 67,000 meals to needy individuals and families throughout the year.

During 2011, there were 1,916 referrals made by local social service groups, many of them women and children, about 12 percent more than in previous years.

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation estimates 147 million shoppers hit the stores Black Friday weekend, which ends today -- and that doesn't include the so-called Cyber-Monday, when people shop for deadline online.

But what if each of those more than 147 million shoppers could spare an extra $1 to help a family in need -- a family maybe not so unlike their own?

According to Feed America, a leading food-aid nonprofit in the U.S., every $1 donated helps provide eight meals for hungry Americans. If every Black Friday shopper donated $1, they would help provide nearly 1.2 billion meals for families in their communities.

We can expect to hear from analysts this weekend who will gauge the health of our nation by the amount of money we spend over the next few days.

Wouldn't it be nice if the health of our nation was measured not by how many folks bought a flat-screen TV but by how many folks have full bellies this weekend?